22/09/2025
Autopromotec internationalisation activities continue: the exhibition attends the Emilia-Romagna week at EXPO Osaka
Autopromotec Editorial Staff
The press conference entitled ‘The Automotive Supply Chain in Emilia-Romagna’ has just ended, during which the Autopromotec team presented the ecosystem to stakeholders and the Japanese press.
The event that has just ended was a record-breaking edition for Autopromotec, with 1,692 exhibitors (including 61 brands represented), among which were also Japanese companies. This presence attracted a great deal of interest from participants at the event, which is why the exhibition has decided to immediately implement the internationalisation missions already in place, in order to guarantee an even wider and more varied offering for the next edition, scheduled for 26 to 29 May 2027. This interest in maintaining existing relationships and creating new business relationships is also evidenced by the fact that 14% of professional operators visiting Autopromotec 2025 came from Asia.
For this reason, it has been a precious opportunity to take part in the delegation organised by Emilia-Romagna during the week that EXPO Osaka is dedicating to the region. The automotive supply chain, which has earned the Emilia-Romagna region the nickname Motor Valley, has deep roots and brings together industry, higher education, research and international promotion. The meeting highlighted how Emilia-Romagna represents a virtuous example of integration between the public and private sectors in the automotive industry throughout the supply chain – from large manufacturers to components and the aftermarket – thanks to the contribution of regional excellence in higher education and technological research, and the role of Autopromotec as an international crossroads for technological updates and commercial exchanges.
The conference sought to gather different opinions and testimonials from the aftermarket world, involving not only representatives of the trade fair, but also regional legislators and Japanese entrepreneurs who are familiar with Autopromotec.
The panel discussion opened with an institutional welcome from Vincenzo Colla, Vice-President of the Emilia-Romagna region, who gave an overview of the regional strategy to support supply chains, public-private collaboration and internationalisation in global markets.
AICA (Italian Association of Automotive Equipment Manufacturers), which together with AIRP (Italian Tyre Retreaders Association) forms the membership base of Autopromotec, represented by Paola Zaccheroni, Public Affairs Manager, presented the position of industry associations at European and international level. In the European Union, both trade associations, together with their supranational representatives (such as EGEA - European Garage Equipment Association and BIPAVER - Bureau International Permanent des Associations de Vendeurs et Rechapeurs de Pneumatiques) are engaged in ongoing dialogue with the Union to address all issues affecting the supply chain and to bring the voice of national and international entrepreneurs to the decision-making bodies regarding the major changes taking place.
Alberto Bianchi, CEO of Ask Industries and Vice-President of the ANFIA (National Association of the Automotive Industry) components group, outlined the perspective of the components sector in relation to the strategic role of subcontracting and SMEs in the value chain, with particular reference to their capacity to innovate and adapt to new technological and environmental challenges.
The meeting continued with a presentation by Francesco Leali, President of the MUNER – Motor Valley University of Emilia-Romagna inter-university degree course, who, as evidence of the virtuous link between research and industry, presented the model of specialised higher education aimed at achieving the specialist skills required by the automotive sector.
Angelo Pucci, President of Clust-ER Mech, the Region's Mechanics and Motor Engineering cluster that brings together companies, universities and research centres to develop applied technological solutions, gave concrete examples of industrial collaboration experiences, platforms for joint experimentation and opportunities for access to highly innovative production chains in a European context.
The floor then returned to Paola Zaccheroni who, as representative of Autopromotec, elaborated on the international mission of the exhibition, which is not only a showcase but also a strategic platform for promoting the automotive supply chain on global markets, an opportunity for visibility and networking in the global scenario of the sector.
The concluding part of the event featured Koji Hirai, President & CEO of Revive and Design, Inc, and Toru Tsurukawa, General Affairs Department Manager at Iyasaka. The representatives of the two Japanese companies, who attended the last edition of Autopromotec as an exhibitor and a visiting professional operator respectively, provided valuable insights into past collaborations and future joint activities.
The press conference proved to be a valuable opportunity to strengthen international collaboration and overseas ties, which may open up new possibilities for collaboration not only for Autopromotec, but for the entire automotive aftermarket sector.
The event that has just ended was a record-breaking edition for Autopromotec, with 1,692 exhibitors (including 61 brands represented), among which were also Japanese companies. This presence attracted a great deal of interest from participants at the event, which is why the exhibition has decided to immediately implement the internationalisation missions already in place, in order to guarantee an even wider and more varied offering for the next edition, scheduled for 26 to 29 May 2027. This interest in maintaining existing relationships and creating new business relationships is also evidenced by the fact that 14% of professional operators visiting Autopromotec 2025 came from Asia.
For this reason, it has been a precious opportunity to take part in the delegation organised by Emilia-Romagna during the week that EXPO Osaka is dedicating to the region. The automotive supply chain, which has earned the Emilia-Romagna region the nickname Motor Valley, has deep roots and brings together industry, higher education, research and international promotion. The meeting highlighted how Emilia-Romagna represents a virtuous example of integration between the public and private sectors in the automotive industry throughout the supply chain – from large manufacturers to components and the aftermarket – thanks to the contribution of regional excellence in higher education and technological research, and the role of Autopromotec as an international crossroads for technological updates and commercial exchanges.
The conference sought to gather different opinions and testimonials from the aftermarket world, involving not only representatives of the trade fair, but also regional legislators and Japanese entrepreneurs who are familiar with Autopromotec.
The panel discussion opened with an institutional welcome from Vincenzo Colla, Vice-President of the Emilia-Romagna region, who gave an overview of the regional strategy to support supply chains, public-private collaboration and internationalisation in global markets.
AICA (Italian Association of Automotive Equipment Manufacturers), which together with AIRP (Italian Tyre Retreaders Association) forms the membership base of Autopromotec, represented by Paola Zaccheroni, Public Affairs Manager, presented the position of industry associations at European and international level. In the European Union, both trade associations, together with their supranational representatives (such as EGEA - European Garage Equipment Association and BIPAVER - Bureau International Permanent des Associations de Vendeurs et Rechapeurs de Pneumatiques) are engaged in ongoing dialogue with the Union to address all issues affecting the supply chain and to bring the voice of national and international entrepreneurs to the decision-making bodies regarding the major changes taking place.
Alberto Bianchi, CEO of Ask Industries and Vice-President of the ANFIA (National Association of the Automotive Industry) components group, outlined the perspective of the components sector in relation to the strategic role of subcontracting and SMEs in the value chain, with particular reference to their capacity to innovate and adapt to new technological and environmental challenges.
The meeting continued with a presentation by Francesco Leali, President of the MUNER – Motor Valley University of Emilia-Romagna inter-university degree course, who, as evidence of the virtuous link between research and industry, presented the model of specialised higher education aimed at achieving the specialist skills required by the automotive sector.
Angelo Pucci, President of Clust-ER Mech, the Region's Mechanics and Motor Engineering cluster that brings together companies, universities and research centres to develop applied technological solutions, gave concrete examples of industrial collaboration experiences, platforms for joint experimentation and opportunities for access to highly innovative production chains in a European context.
The floor then returned to Paola Zaccheroni who, as representative of Autopromotec, elaborated on the international mission of the exhibition, which is not only a showcase but also a strategic platform for promoting the automotive supply chain on global markets, an opportunity for visibility and networking in the global scenario of the sector.
The concluding part of the event featured Koji Hirai, President & CEO of Revive and Design, Inc, and Toru Tsurukawa, General Affairs Department Manager at Iyasaka. The representatives of the two Japanese companies, who attended the last edition of Autopromotec as an exhibitor and a visiting professional operator respectively, provided valuable insights into past collaborations and future joint activities.
The press conference proved to be a valuable opportunity to strengthen international collaboration and overseas ties, which may open up new possibilities for collaboration not only for Autopromotec, but for the entire automotive aftermarket sector.
